Book Review
The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
A perfect novella in praise of Saint Oscar
The kind of hope I have doesn’t begin and end with demanding everything go back to the way it was when it can’t, it can’t ever, that’s not how time works.
— The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
In The Past Is Red, Catherynne M. Valente returns to her talent of crafting a story that goes beyond the surface. I never feel too guilty reading deeply into these books — though I often delve too far. She makes the process too enjoyable to pass up.
Tetley Abednego brings a sense of joy to a devastated world. As someone who had to be persuaded not to take the Saint Azarias (Abednego) as a confirmation name, I couldn’t help but compare her to Daniel’s friend who escaped the fiery furnace through his belief in God along with Ananais and Mishael. For me it is hard not to see the joy of escaping the human-induced fate through this lens. As the Prayer of the Children says, “yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted” and Tetley seeks this acceptance in each of the two stories, The Future Is Blue and The Past Is Red.
I think Valente teases those of us who dare to look for the breadcrumbs, enriching the experience of reading her book. The final realization that Tetley isn’t…
